


Butterflies

by kissofdusk



Category: DARLING In The FRANXX (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Student Council, mentioned hirotwo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-24 03:58:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16632482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kissofdusk/pseuds/kissofdusk
Summary: Ichigo is nervous about her student council speech and Goro knows just what to do.





	Butterflies

Ichigo has rehearsed this speech a hundred times yet something always seems to slip her mind. Goro knows this because he's been her guinea pig these past three weeks, bearing witness to her countless revisions. Somehow all this practicing, instead of calming her, has increased her nerves ten-fold. There's no end in sight, and he's left watching her pace back and forth at the foot of his bed, mumbling about her own incompetence.

"Ichigo, you'll be fine," Goro consoles. "I know your speech by heart and it's _good_. Stop worrying."

"But it's not!" She sighs dramatically and flops down onto his bed. "Not yet, and the assembly is tomorrow and I'm gonna choke, I can feel it."

She doesn't see the smile that spreads on his face, all sincerity and fondness. She hardly ever sees them, and when she does she can't tell what they mean. His silent confessions go unnoticed, but he's never been the type to force his feelings on someone. If he thinks she'll be happier while oblivious then his mouth will stay shut. All things considered, having over ten years of friendship with her under his belt is the greatest blessing he can conceive of. A life spent with her at his side...he can hardly fathom a happiness that grand. But if she found someone else to love that way, knowing he had a place as her closest friend would be enough.

Ichigo leans back against his legs. Without sparing a thought, Goro leans forward and lets his fingers work into her shoulders. He feels her muscles relax the deeper he presses and a light groan escapes her when he finds just the right spot.

"Better?" he asks.

"A little." She sits up straight, her face considerably less strained when she looks at him. "Still worried."

He grunts. "I was sure the massage would work."

When he lays down, Ichigo places a placating hand on his leg. "It was a noble effort."

The laugh that pulls from his chest is clear and free. Ichigo's always had a way of relaxing him like no one else; he hopes belatedly that he's returned the favor in kind. He could pass an eternity like this; so long as she's there, anywhere would feel like home.

But sadly, nothing good can last forever. "As much as I'd love to spend all night with you, Hiro's gonna be here in..." He glances at his phone, raising an eyebrow. "...five minutes ago."

"Punctual as always," Ichigo laughs. She stands and gathers her things, keeping her flashcards close even though he's sure she won't need them. "Sorry for keeping you so late." Composedly, she makes her way to his door. Just before she leaves, she pauses to glance back at him. "I really appreciate you doing this for me." A faint blush colors her cheeks and suddenly she can't quite make eye contact. "It means a lot."

Sitting up slowly, he relishes in her open expression. "Any time."

With a last smile, she's gone. His room holds her warmth for a moment before going totally cold. It’s always like this when she leaves, like day turning to night. God, he's so whipped.

Somehow, Hiro finds his way into Goro's room.

“Ichigo keep you up with her speech again?” he asks, settling into Goro’s desk chair.

“Yes, but you certainly won’t find me complaining.” He gives Hiro a once-over, taking in the developing splotches low on his neck. He grins. “What about you? You were a bit late.”

“Oh, you know, homework,” Hiro lies.

“Didn’t know homework could bite you on the neck.”

Immediately, Hiro’s hand flies up to his throat. “I told her not to!” he gasps, then, “Oh my god, Ichigo probably saw!”

Goro laughs, scooting to the edge of the bed. “It’s dark out. Besides, I think she can handle a few hickeys.”

“A _few?!_ ”

While Hiro darts to the bathroom to examine the carnage, Goro spreads his physics notes over the bed. It’s a lot: pages upon pages of incomprehensible equations, most of which he can’t even remember writing down. Not for the first time, he wishes Ichigo had taken this class with him; everything comes to her so easily.

When Hiro reenters the room, he says so aloud. “Ichigo would be so much better at this.”

Hiro snorts. “You kidding? She hates science. _And_ math.”

“But she’s good at all of it.” He sighs, the image of her at her desk, face scrunched in concentration, coming to mind. Watching her work has always been a favorite pastime of his, even before he’d put his feelings into words. She certainly knows that he’s perfectly content to hang around with her doing nothing, but somehow the true depth of his affection has evaded her entirely.

Hiro reads his thoughts like they were written on his forehead. “Dude, you really need to confess or something. This is killing you.”

Goro shakes his head. “No, I’ve kept it quiet this long. I can last a few more weeks.”

“You said that two years ago.”

Goro balks. “Has it really been that long?”

“Oh god.” Hiro drops onto the bed. “You’re hopeless.”

As a response, he gets a pillow to the face. “Shut up. It’s not like I can tell her now. She’s so nervous about this speech that it’d probably give her a heart attack. And she’d just turn me down anyway.”

Hiro shoves the pillow away. “Honestly, I disagree. I’ve known you both since we were kids, and Ichigo’s always been relaxed around you; you’re the last person that’d send her into cardiac arrest.”

Goro considers this. “Okay,” he allows, “but she’d still say no, and I doubt it’d do anything good for our friendship.”

“Again, I disagree,” Hiro says. “I mean, she’s always come to you when she’s scared.” Suddenly, he laughs. “Like, even when she had that huge crush on me, she still went to you with her problems.”

Goro grimaces. The memories come flooding back: Ichigo blushing everytime Hiro entered the room, texting about him to Goro at all hours, calling him after her first (and only) kiss. Despite his willingness to listen back then, a twinge of jealousy hits him. “Don’t remind me.”

Hiro ignores him. “I didn’t realize until I’d been dating Zero Two for a while, but that trust is what relationships are made of.” He fixes Goro with his gaze. “You’re like home to her, the balm to her nerves, and she knows it.”

The words slap Goro across the face. Is that true? Does she really feel that way about him? He thinks back on their history, rich with honesty and trust. All the times she’d come to him in tears after falling on the playground, or pissed when her parents threatened to ground her play in his head, each leading into the next, and they don’t stop.

It’s always been like this.

Her crush on Hiro had torn her apart, and in the end was the reason Goro never pursued her. He knew that she’d never be that brutally affected by anything Goro could say or do and had taken that to mean she wasn’t interested. But that wasn’t true, was it? Because in all the time he’s been in love, it’s never looked like her fling. Where her crush was pining and jealousy, his has been warmth and acceptance. He’d gladly see her married to another man if it’s what made her happy, and he’s slowly realizing that she feel the same.

“She’s in love with me,” he says, voice filled with awe.

Hiro looks borderline ecstatic. “Yes! Yes she is!” He buries his face in the sheets, a muffled “finally” slipping into the air.

“I…” Goro pauses, brain leaving his mouth in the dust. It’s a lot to process. “She doesn’t even know.”

Hiro rolls over. “Now you’re getting it.” He sits up, snatching Goro’s phone from the table. Without any warning, he tosses it to his friend, who scrambles to save it. “Now call her back here and let’s get this show on the road!”

“W-what?” Goro gasps. “No way! It’s,” he checks the time, “almost 11pm, and her speech is first thing in the morning.”

Hiro relents, all the energy flowing out of him. “You’re right.” A moment later, he says, “I’m glad Zero Two initiated things because I can’t imagine worrying like you have.”

Goro doesn’t know how to respond, so they get to work. It seems to take hours, and by the time Hiro’s leaving, Goro wants nothing more than to curl up in his bed and never leave. The only thing getting him to school in the morning will be Ichigo’s speech, and hopefully his confession. Even if he’s puzzled out her feelings, he needs to find a way to remedy her stress first and foremost. This election means the world to her; she’ll never forgive herself if she loses because of a poor presentation.

He mulls this over into the wee hours of the morning, coming up with nothing. But just before he slips into unconsciousness, an idea presents itself plainly. It’s bold, for sure, and might make things worse, but some part of him urges him to do it. The thought of finally presenting himself to Ichigo should make his stomach squirm, but he only feels anticipation and--above all--happiness.

He falls asleep with a smile.

* * *

Ichigo paces back-and-forth outside the auditorium, wringing her hands together.

“I’m sure he’ll be here any minute,” Ikuno soothes, or tries to, as she looks almost equally anxious.

Ichigo stops abruptly, crossing her arms over her chest. “He was supposed to help me prepare! If I forget what to say--”

“You won’t.”

“--he’s supposed to help me remember!” Inside, the principal picks up the mic and introduces the candidates for vice president. Ichigo’s skin about crawls off her body.

“I can’t do it,” she decides, stuffing her flashcards deep into her pockets. “I have to go--”

“Hey!”

Ichigo and Ikuno snap their heads to the side, taking in Goro’s hastily approaching form with various levels of surprise and gratitude.

“Oh thank god,” Ikuno blurts as Goro halts in front of them. She pats him on the shoulder. “Naomi’s waiting for me. She’s all yours.” With a final “good luck,” she disappears into the crowded room.

“Where were you?” Ichigo asks. “We don’t have time to prepare now.”

Goro stares fondly, unflinching when she meets him head-on. “You don’t need to.”

She groans. “Goro, seriously--”

Before she can further discourage herself, he takes matters into his own hands. Surefooted, he takes a step into her personal space, still looking directly at her.

She falters but doesn’t move away. “I--what are you doing?”

A smile flits across his face and some tension leaves her. “Distracting you.”

Her lips twitch. “Oh, really? Well you’re doing a pretty poor--”

Before he can chicken out, before she loses her cool, he brings a hand to her face and leans in until their noses are nearly touching. Her breath stutters but once again she shows no signs of backing up, so he bites the bullet and _moves_ , years of emotion propelling him forward.

Their lips meet in a soft explosion. At the contact, she gasps, and he suppresses a shiver that sinks all the way down to his toes. He presses his lips to hers with just the right amount of pressure and just when she leans into it, he pulls away.

“Goro,” she says, face red. It’s all she can manage.

He feels high, so his next words come unbidden. “Ichigo, I’m in love with you.”

Her eyes widen but there’s no real shock. He brings his other hand up, cupping her face now, and continues, “I have been for a long time. And because I love you, because I know you better than anyone, I know that you’re going to kill this speech. There’s no one in this school more suited for the position than you. The only person doubting you is yourself.”

She says his name again, properly stunned. The blush is fading from her cheeks, revealing crinkles by her eyes. She’s grinning from ear to ear.

This time, it’s him that catches his breath. She looks so beautiful in that moment that he can’t help leaning in again, and this time she matches him.

Her fingers clutch at his shirt while his lower to her waist. The kiss is still slow, but their lips move against each other with purpose, flashes of tongue and teeth presenting themselves amidst mingled breaths.

She pulls back much later, holding herself close for as long as she can before the principal announces the main candidates.

Goro separates them, making sure to straighten out her shirt. “Go. I’ll be watching.”

“You better be,” she says, turning away with some reluctance. Just as the principal announces her name, she barges through the doors, making her way to the stage with nothing but confidence.

Goro slips into the room shortly after. The speech goes exactly how they rehearsed it, plus some improvisation that only made it better. Ichigo even winked at him when she found him in the crowd and his heart skipped a beat.

Watching her speak fills him with boundless pride. The school hangs on her every word, Goro included, so it isn’t until much later that he realizes.

She never touched the cards.


End file.
